


Of names and years

by Drarina1737



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Dan Howell and Phil Lester Get a Dog, Domestic, Domestic Dan Howell/Phil Lester, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, dan and phil over the years, lola the pomeranian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13049007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drarina1737/pseuds/Drarina1737
Summary: Dan has, of course, lost count of how many times he's called Phil's name over the last eight years.For the Phandom Christmas Fic Exchange Challenge.





	Of names and years

Dan has, of course, lost count of how many times he's called Phil's name over the last eight years.

First platonically, as he watched his videos at home and he noticed his accent, an 'oh, Phil' whispered and timid and joyful that left his lips as he smiled.

A bit later, a loud (not) offended cry, "Phil!" all giggly when they talked on Skype and he made a joke just-this-side-of-too-bad, and then laughed with his tongue between his teeth.

Then, that first real time, which nobody ever heard, against his shoulder when he hugged him that first time on a platform in the train station, starstruck and relieved because _he was a real person_ , just " _Phl_..."

After that, those ones when they started to see each other more, Dan would use Phil's washing machine in uni, "hey, Phil", and they would talk while the clothes got clean, already so in love everyone but them could see, eyes locked into the others' while they talked about nothing in particular and smiled, "I don't think that's what happened, Phil", "I can't believe you did that, Phil!".

Then Phil suggested that they moved together, just mates (in love) sharing a flat in Manchester, and Dan answered with a sweet "Really, Phil? I'd love to," and a smile that would melt Phil's heart for years.

They admitted their feelings months later, Dan remembers very well that he started noticing the signs that maybe, _just maybe_ , Phil liked him back. They would touch longer than normal for a couple of friends, and he had caught Phil looking at him fondly while he thought Dan wasn't looking but, look, he was already fucked just with the massive crush-slash-love he had for Phil without telling him, he didn't need to ruin their friendship in the name of the slim chances he felt the same. But, when Phil (halfway through a Buffy episode) just told him, "I think I'm in love with you" without even looking away from the TV, Dan just let out a soft sigh (and even today he has no idea how he didn't start crying right away), let some seconds pass and said "...Phil? I think I am too...", and then a soft, chaste kiss when the ending theme was on. And then more, many more of those.

Their first time they didn't even have the energy to say their names, overwhelmed by love and sensations, but the occasional "Phil...", whispered, incomplete and sated left Dan's lips when they were done.

And after that, it came the fights, the shouting, furious "PHIL", followed by things that today's Dan, the Dan of 2017 would prefer to forget but that chase him in his worst nightmares, the oh-so-good but oh-so-emotionally-charged sex who left the two exhausted and instantly sad.

And then they moved and their new home was London and hey, it didn't matter because their home had always been each other.

All was good again and they were in love and they were _them_ , happy and light and laughing at terrible jokes, and that offended "Phil!" repeated itself over and over through the years, and Dan couldn't stay even slightly mad with him when he looked straight at his blue eyes and he saw the love there.

It was then, probably the moment Dan has treasured more carefully his whole life. It was a normal day, and Dan had expected an anime marathon at best when Phil called him from the lounge, not a very nervous boyfriend with his hands behind his back. Definitely not Phil kneeling in front of him getting out a silver band and proposing with his blue eyes glossy and his smile brighter that anything. Dan kneels too and tries to smile like he's not crying, like he's not feeling more and harder than he ever has, like his emotions aren't all over the place like this is not the promise that they are, in fact, staying together for life, like this doesn't calm his mental illness to a point he thought impossible. He smiles, he whispers "Phil." He can't say more, and the only thing that he can mutter as he throws himself into his arms is "yes" and a litany of Phil's name.

He wears the ring as a necklace, always against his chest, against his heart, except when they make love and the small sound their rings make when they take each other's hand sends them over the edge. He's wearing it when they finally find their new home, when they move into their new apartment and Phil throws himself on the floor of the lounge as the last box is unpacked, he is wearing it when he yells "Phil!" laughing and helping him to get up.

And he is definitely wearing it when Phil paints whiskers on him for the ninth year in a row, and for the first time with the calming weight of the ring hanging from his neck under the sweater. He says 13 times Phil's name in the final cut (not that he counted), but his favourite is when he calls him "Lester", with that added fondness to it that makes him think of High School AU fan fiction (that he’s never read, of course).

His emotions were all over the place when he got up on Christmas morning and made Phil go with him downstairs to exchange presents.

Dan gave Phil his, a ring, because his fool boyfriend hadn't bought one for himself when he proposed, with the words "that's the plan" engraved on the inside. And then Phil went to his bedroom and came back with a dog.

A. Dog. A Pomeranian. Lola the Pomeranian, and Phil was with her, whispering small words to the dog, and Dan was gone, glancing at him in awe as he murmured "hey, do you remember Dan? He's your new dad too!"

"What?"

"Lola was looking for a family when we shot with her, and I saw you with her and I thought... she's small enough to keep in the flat, I already checked with the landlord too, I have the papers over there, but... we can... we can just give her to anyone else if you want, I mean, I don't..."

Dan approached and shut his boyfriend with a kiss. He then took Lola in his arms and she snuggled close, as if she remembered him, and Dan, who was already sure about keeping her, all but melted.

"Thank you. Thank you, Phil. I love her. I love you."

And Phil smiled with that smile that could stop wars and hugged him from the side to avoid crushing Lola, and watched Dan smile, and he felt _happy_. As if he was hugging his whole world with one arm.

"I love you too, Dan." He turned his face to give him a soft kiss, whispering the softest, fondest "Phil" ever.


End file.
